Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger… Velocity Press unveils book examining the legacy of Daft Punk’s ‘Discovery’
Released in 2001, Daft Punk’s second album, Discovery, was a benchmark setter not just for the French duo but also for dance music at the start of a new Millennium.
A new book, Daft Punk’s Discovery: The Future Unfurled, by author and journalist Ben Cardew, has just been unveiled by Velocity Press, which recently published a fascinating book charting the history of drum ‘n’ bass, an exploration of the work of graphic artist and flyer designer Junior Tomlin, and a lot more besides.
As the book explores, upon its release Discovery looked into the future and liked what it saw – an album that predicted the electronic music explosion, YouTube and the end of privacy, while dragging soft rock back into vogue.
Borrowing from references as diverse as Japanese manga, Van Halen records, Johann Sebastian Bach and Daft Punk’s childhood, it was was a record that confounded many fans when it was released in 2001, thanks to its blatant pop hooks and unlikely sonic bricolage. It was a record that was – and still is – widely misunderstood; Discovery’s impact has only become clear with the passing of time, as Daft Punk have been proved right time and time again.
“I’ve been obsessed with Daft Punk for more than three decades,” Cardew explains. “One of the main reasons I wanted to write this book, though, was because they seem to be a bit misunderstood, it’s like the legend has overtaken them and I wanted to get behind that.
“Discovery isn’t just one of my favourite albums – it’s also an album that fascinates me, with its prescience and flaws. And I really enjoyed digging into this. I am really happy to be able to publish this book in the year of Discovery’s 20th anniversary, even if the band splitting gives it a slightly bittersweet edge.”
Daft Punk’s Discovery: The Future Unfurled is published in early September 2021, but it can be pre-ordered now via the Velocity Press website.
Read more about the book’s origins by clicking here.
I've written a book about Daft Punk's Discovery, for @PressVelocity. "A homage to a fascinating, troubled beast of an album that casts a huge shadow over the 21st Century." You can pre-order now. https://t.co/zp6niIsCeX
— Ben Cardew (@bencardew) June 3, 2021
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